INDIANTOWN, Fla (CBS12) — The Village of Indiantown is moving forward with plans to consider a temporary moratorium on large-scale data center development, but three sites already in the works would be excluded from the proposed restrictions.
During Thursday night’s Village Council meeting, members voted to schedule a special meeting for November 5, when they will take up the first reading of an ordinance that would temporarily halt new data center development applications, reviews, approvals and the start of construction on projects subject to the restrictions.
The council also identified three sites that would be excluded from the proposed moratorium:
Project Silver Fox — Associated with Silver Fox 606 LLC.Project Growler — Associated with Warfield 18 LLC.Tesoro Groves — A large, planned development associated with Florida Power & Light property.
The exemptions would allow those sites to remain outside the proposed restrictions while the village considers how to regulate future large-scale data center development.
Council seeks negotiations and an end to litigation
Council members also called for lawsuits surrounding the developments to be dropped as the village seeks to negotiate with developers.
The request comes amid ongoing legal disputes involving data center development in Indiantown.
Silver Fox 606 LLC filed a lawsuit against the village challenging its handling of an appeal involving the project’s development approvals.
A Martin County circuit judge issued an injunction earlier this month blocking a planned zoning appeals hearing while the legal dispute proceeds.
It remains unclear whether the developers will agree to dismiss pending litigation or what conditions could be attached to any negotiations.
Councilwoman pushes for community benefits
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During Thursday’s meeting, Councilwoman Vernestine Williams-Palmer expressed frustration over the lengthy discussions surrounding data centers and emphasized the need to secure financial benefits for Indiantown residents.
Palmer said the village needs additional tax revenue and investments in community infrastructure, particularly improvements to its water system.
“We need the taxes. We need all the things, all the things that’s been promised. We need the community impacts. We need all of that,” Palmer said, according to a transcript of the meeting.
She also encouraged residents to identify improvements they would like developers to help fund, mentioning a proposed $3 million gymnasium as one example discussed.
Palmer said she has visited a data center in Texas and spoken with facility managers as part of her efforts to better understand the industry.
While acknowledging that residents remain divided over data center development, Palmer said council members are working to protect the community’s interests.
What happens next?
The November 5 special meeting will focus on the first reading of the proposed moratorium ordinance.
If ultimately adopted, the measure would temporarily restrict new large-scale data center applications and development activity covered by the ordinance while excluding the three identified sites.
The length of the proposed moratorium and the precise conditions governing the exemptions still need to be established.
The council’s October 22 vote scheduled the special meeting and addressed the proposed exclusions. It did not enact the moratorium.
Village leaders are expected to continue discussions over development restrictions, infrastructure needs and potential community benefits as the ordinance moves forward.